Portret van Antoine Pierre Joseph Marie Barnave 1790 - 1807

This print, now in the Rijksmuseum, was made by Franz Gabriel Fiesinger sometime in the late 18th century. It depicts Antoine Pierre Joseph Marie Barnave in profile, and it's made by engraving on a copper plate. The magic of engraving lies in its capacity for crisp, precise lines, which you can see in the detail of Barnave's powdered wig and the fabric of his coat. The process involves meticulous labor: the artist uses a tool called a burin to carve lines into the metal. Ink is then applied to the plate, and the surface is wiped clean, leaving ink only in the engraved lines. When paper is pressed against the plate, the image is transferred. Prints like this one were part of a burgeoning media landscape, allowing images to circulate widely and contributing to the cult of celebrity. Think of it – before photography, this was how you got someone’s face out into the world. It's a reminder that art, even in its most seemingly traditional forms, is always shaped by the technologies and social conditions of its time.